Mowing-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. KANE.

MOWING MACHINE.

Patented Oct. 19,1897.

me warm n-rzfls co. PHOTU-UTNO. WASHINGTON u c (No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 2. M. KANE.

MOWING MACHINE.

No. 591,924. Patented Oct. 19,1897.

" KNITED STATES PATENT Grmcni.

MAURICE KANE, OF AUSTIN, ILLINOIS.

MOWING-IMACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,924, dated October19, 1897.

Application filed December 5, 1896- Serial No. 614,577. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAURICE KANE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Austin, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Mowing-Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to mowing-machines.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby the draft of thehorses is utilized to counteract the tendency of the finger-bar tovibrate vertically under the influence of its counterbalancing-springwhen said bar is in its normal working position.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination,location, and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fullyhereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, andfinally specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and to the various views andreference-signs appearing thereon, Figure l is a view in plan, partsbeing broken away and parts omitted, of the frame of a mower with myinvention applied thereto. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal sectional view of theconstruction shown in Fig. 1 taken on line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a detacheddetail view in side elevation showing a slightlymo'dified form ofarrangement.

The same part is designated by the same reference-sign wherever itoccurs.

In the operation of mowing-machines employing a floating counterbalancedfinger-bar, any unevenness in the ground or other obstructionencountered by the finger bar causes the finger-bar to be raisedvertically and independently of the usual means employed in hoistingormoving the same vertically, such vertical movement being caused by thetendency of the counterbalance of the finger-bar aided by theobstruction or unevenness encountered bythe bar itself.

The tension of the counterbalance being exerted not only to aid inraising the fingerbar,but also preventing a return of the fingerbar toits normal position after the unevenness or obstruction is passed, suchvertical movement is objectionable, for the reason that it results in anuneven cutting of the grass. It is the purpose of my invention to avoidthis objection in a simple and efficient manner and to that end Iutilize the draft of the horses.

I have shown in the accompanying drawings an operative embodiment ofmeans for accomplishing the desired object, but I do not desire to belimited or restricted thereto as many variations and changes in thespecific construction and arrangement of parts for carrying theprinciples of my invention into practice would readily suggestthemselves to persons skilled in the art and still fall within thespirit and scope of my invention.

In the particular form shown reference-sign A designates the main frameof a mower; B, the supporting-axle therefor; O, the tractionwheels; D,the tongue; E, the finger bar mounted on the main frame; F, thecutterbar-operating means; G, the bell-crank lever for supporting thefinger-bar; H, the counterbalance-spring acting through the bell-cranklever upon the finger-bar to balance the same in its normal workingposition; J, the drag-bar connection from the finger-bar to the tongue;K, the connection from the bell-crank lever G to the finger-bar; L, thefoot-lever by which the bell-crank lever is rocked to raise the finver Lto thebell-crank lever G, and N the double or draft tree, to which thesingletrees O are attached.

"The parts so far described may be of any usual, well-known orconvenient type, construction or arrangement and operating in the usualor well-known manner, except in the particulars hereinafter mentioned.

From this construction it will be seen that the tendency of thecounterbalance-spring H, acting through bell-crank lever G, is toconstantly elevate the finger-bar, and consequently the force of thisspring is .aided by the movement of the finger-bar when rough or unevensurfaces of the ground or other obstacles are encountered by the barwhile in operation, thereby causing said finger-bar to unduly vibrate ormove vertically and independently of the foot-lever Land preventing theready return thereof to its normal working position. In order tocounteract this tendency, I connect one end of a rod P to the bell-crankG at a suitable point to counteract the tension of spring H. The otherend of said rod P is connected in one end of an arm Q, pivotally mountedat its other end upon tongue D, as at R, and instead of mounting thedraft tree or beam N directly upon the tongue, I mount said beam in astrap S, pivot-ally connected to arm Q at a point intermediate the pivotR and the point of connection of rod P to said arm Q. In order to securea range of adjustment, I may attach the end of rod P at different pointsof arm Q, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1, by the holes or perforationsT.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the draft of thehorses is applied to the machine through the pivoted arm Q and sincesaid arm is connected to the bell-crank lever G through rod P and at asuitable point with reference to the point of attachment to said leverof the spring H, such that a portion of the draft of the horses isapplied to the bell-crank lever in a direction to counteract the tensionof spring H, thereby partially relieving the finger-bar of the influenceof said spring in efiecting an undue vertical and independent vibrationor movement of said finger-bar and permitting gravity, aided by thedraft of the horses, to readily return the finger-bar to its normal orworking position after the obstruction which causes the fingerbar to beraised has been passed.

In some cases it may be desirable to introduce a yielding connectionbetween arm Q and bell-crank G. I have shown an embodiment of such ideain Fig. 3; wherein, instead of connecting the rod P directly tobell-crank G, I connect said rod to one end of a spring A, the other endof said spring being connected to the bell-crank lever. This connectionof spring A with bell-crank G may be effected by means of a pin orboltarranged to project into an elongated slot B, formed in said bell-crank.By this construction it will be readily seen that the draft is yieldiingly applied in opposition to the force of spring H. It will also beseen that a loose connection is made between rod P and the bell-crank,thereby enabling a certain amount of play to be secured.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention and a form ofapparatus embodying the same as illustrative of operative means, andhaving described the construction, function, and mode of operationthereof, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a -mowing-machine, a finger-bar, a counterbalance therefor,meansfor counteracting the force of the counterbalance with the draft ofthe horses; as and for the purpose set forth.

2; In a mowing-machine, a main frame, a finger-bar, a bell-crank levermounted on said main frame, connections between said fingerbar andlever, a spring acting through said ger-bar, and means for counteractingthe force of the counterbalance in the spring with the draft of thehorses, including a draft-beam and connections between said beam andlever; as and for the purpose set forth. 3. In a mowing-machine, a mainframe, a finger-bar, a bell-crank lever connected to said bar, a springacting through said lever to counterbalance said bar, and means forcounteracting the force of the counterbalance in the spring with thedraft of the horses, in-

said beam and lever; as and for the purpose set forth.

4.. In a mowing-machine, a main frame, a finger-bar, acounterbalancing-spring therefor, a draft-beam and means connected tosaid draft-beam for opposing the force of said I spring; as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. In a mowing-machine, a main frame and tongue, afinger-bar, abell-crank,connections 1 between said crank and bar, a spring connect-}ed to said crank for counterbalancing said .bar, and means forcounteracting the force 5 of the counterbalance in the spring with thedraft of the horses, including an arm pivotally I mounted on saidtongue, connections between :said arm and crank, a draft-beam and meansfor connecting said draft-beam to said arm; as and for the purpose setforth.

6. In a mowing-machine, a main frame and tongue, a finger-bar, abell-crank lever, connections between said bar and lever, a spring,connected to said lever for counterbalancing said bar, and means forcounteracting the force of the counterbalance in the spring with i thedraft of the horses, including an arm piv otally mounted at one end uponsaid tongue,

and said lever, a draft-beam and means for 1 connecting said beam tosaid arm; as and for the purpose set forth.

' 7. In a mowing-machine, a main frame and jtongue, a finger-bar,bell-crank lever, and co unterbalancingspring, an arm pivotally mountedat one end on said tongue, a rod con- ;nected at one end to the'free endof said arm and having connections at the other end to said lever, adraft-beam and means for connecting said draft-beam to said arm, wherebythe force of said counterbalancing-spring is and for the purpose setforth.

8. In a mowing-machine, a main frame, a finger-bar, a bell-crank lever,and a counterbalancing-spring in combination with means forcounteracting the force of the counterbalance in the spring with thedraft of the horses, including a draft-beam, and yielding connectionsbetween said beam and lever; as

and for the-purpose set forth.

9. In a mowing-machine, a main frame, a

finger-bar, a bell-crank and a counterbalanbell-crank lever tocounterbalance said fincounteracted by the draft of the horses; as

ulllll eluding a draft-beam and a rod connecting connections between theother end of said arm eing-spr ing', in combination with means for InWitness whereof I have hereunto set my counteracting the force of thecounterbalance hand this 2d day of December, 1896.

in the sprin with the draft of the horses ineluding a drift-beam, a rodconnected thereto, MAURICE KANE and a spring connection between said rodand \Vitnesses:

bell-crank lever; as and for the purpose set S. E. DARBY,

forth. M. I. OAVANAGH.

